Complete Guide To Kontakt by Defazed

28 Dec, 2014

Master the world’s most powerful sampler, Native Instruments Kontakt, in this new online course by Producertech Tutor Defazed. With a career spanning from classic Drum & Bass to the cutting edge of electronic music, in addition to numerous international label releases and a wealth of class-based teaching experience in a number of colleges, Defazed is your ideal guide to the intricate world of sound design!

In this extensive set of tutorials, you’ll not only learn how to use Kontakt to create a wide variety of presets, including drum kits, basses, leads, pads and FX, but you’ll also discover how to use those presets to create a track, as Defazed develops each patch with MIDI clips and automation in Ableton Live.

The course is available for streaming 24/7/365 and includes over 100MB of Kontakt presets, courtesy of Loopmasters, along with the Live projects from the course. You can find assistance on the Producertech forum if needed, as well as regular remix competitions, where you can try out your new skills, and giveaways of new plugins and hardware. To find out more, check out the free sample module below, and also listen to the track created on the course…

Module 1 – Course Introduction and Kontakt Overview
In the first module, Defazed gives an overview of Kontakt, including using Kontakt in standalone mode, opening and editing Library Instruments, creating your own instrument from samples, the Wave Editor, Sampler algorithms and the Kontakt effects rack.

Module 2 – Creating the Drums Instrument
Next, Defazed creates a Drums instrument from scratch by importing samples. He discusses sample selection and editing before adding each part of the kit, before sequencing the beat and applying a groove template.

Module 3 – Grouping and Processing the Drums
This module is all about groups, showing how and why to create different groups, and the process of applying effects to whole groups. Defazed adds compression, EQ and saturation to the drums, demonstrating how to sit the different samples together to create a cohesive drum sound.

Module 4 – Creating and Sequencing the Bass Instruments
Moving on to the Bass parts, Defazed sets up audio routing and creates patches in Massive, before sampling them with Kontakt. He then demonstrates how to ensure correct tuning and key range, before creating and editing the main bass sound and stab, and then using them to produce punchy, twisted basslines.

Module 5 – Creating and Sequencing the Synth Instruments
This module covers the melodic parts of the track. Defazed creates exciting pluck and lead patches in Massive, then resamples them in Kontakt, demonstrating the editing power of the sampler. He manipulates the sounds, adding processing and effects before creating a catchy intro and extending the arrangement.

Module 6 – Atmospherics
In this lesson, Defazed shows how to manipulate samples to create atmospheric sounds using a variety of powerful techniques, including the Time Machine, Granular Synthesis and Tone Machine. He transforms samples into pads, sequences various instruments and creates deep, atmospheric effects. Next, he further develops the drum sounds and automates filters and reverb on the leads, to build interest before the drop.

Module 7 – Completing the Arrangement, Mixing and Mastering
In the final section, Defazed takes a critical look at all of the instruments, creating sub-mixes using groups and honing in on their sounds. He edits the drums for the build-up, further tweaks the drop section, intro and build-up, before tidying up the mix and arrangement. Finally, he covers some basic mastering techniques to complete the track.